Today the next Davis Cup draw has started. The Australian national team leads 2-0 in a match with the UK team, which includes the strongest tennis players. At first, Mark Filippussis prevailed over Alan McKin, and then Llatyon Hughitt easily won Alex Bogdanovich. Elena Dementieva continues to participate in the women's tournament in Paris, having won yesterday the victory over Italian Rita Grande. Maria Kirilenko completed performances in Haydarabada, losing Tamarina Tanasugarn from Thailand.

In Tyumen, the specialists of the city center of the state -owned Epidemiological Supervision in connection with the influenza epidemic recommended that all schools of the city for quarantine have to close. 12 out of 57 schools are already closed - in them the incidence exceeds 30 percent. In the city of Kropotkin, Krasnodar Territory, 24 private houses are disconnected from gas supply. Such a decision was made by a city court in relation to chronic debtors.

22 -year -old Martina Hingis - a famous Swiss tennis player - is going to leave big sport. In an interview with the French magazine, Khingis said that two ankle joint operations were transferred over the past year and a half, they are unlikely to allow her to continue his sports career. Hingis won five times in the tournaments of the "Big Slam" - the most prestigious tennis competition.

US Secretary of Defense Donald Ramsfeld arrived in Munich, where the International Security Conference opens on Saturday. As expected, the Iraqi problem will be in the center of the discussion. Ramsfeld will meet, in particular, with the leadership of Germany, which decisively opens against the use of force against Iraq. 250 experts from forty countries will participate in a two -day conference. In Munich, increased safety measures have been taken.

The legal department of the State Duma of Russia prepared comments for the draft Constitution of Chechnya, submitted to the referendum on March 23.

The host of the St. Petersburg hour of the Liberty Live program Tatyana Valovich: according to the Central Internal Affairs Directorate, in St. Petersburg more than three and a half thousand homeless and hopeless children. Against the background of reducing the birth rate, the growth of social orphans is especially noticeable even according to official statistics, which does not give a complete picture. How in this situation do shelters work for children who are extremely few?

US President George Bush called on the UN Security Council as soon as possible to decide on the Iraqi problem. According to Bush, the Security Council will lose influence if it allows the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to lie and mislead the world community. On Friday, in a telephone conversation with Bush, French President Jacques Shirak said that Baghdad can be disarmed without war.

US President George Bush again called on the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution providing for the use of force against Iraq - if he refuses to disarm. In yesterday's speech, Bush said that for the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "The game is finished." The US President also noted that if the UN cannot take decisive measures against Baghdad, Washington and his allies will disarm the Iraq regime on their own.

- Three of the main Russian taxes - a single social, for value added and property - is planned to be changed in the next three years. - In Moscow, the first Marktkauf hypermarket in Russia opened in Russia by AVA. - "Place and time." In this heading today - the Radio House "100 years of Argentina". - A review of the publications of the next issue of the British weekly "Economist".

7 people were injured and 8 were arrested as a result of a mass fight between workers in the center of Moscow. According to Interfax, the fight began around midnight in the area of the Sretensky impasse. 7 people are hospitalized. Among the detainees are 6 residents of Mordovia, 1 Muscovite and 1 Ukrainian. The police department reported that the majority of the detainees were in Moscow without registration and worked illegally at the construction site.

In Moldova on Friday, the opposition held a rally in support of the recently closed independent private TV channel of the TVR. The authorities explain the disconnection of the channel by the fact that the television company does not pay debts. However, according to the opposition, the ruling Communist Party thus reacts to criticism.

The program is the program Peter Weil. Radio Liberty Victoria Munblit and Yuri Zhigalkin take part. Peter Vail: The media of Israel has already named the name of the one who leads the Provisional Government of Iraq after the possible overthrow of the current Iraqi leader Sadam Hussein. However, many Israeli observers consider the candidacy of Ahmed Chalabi not quite successful.

The Council of Europe - together with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe - will send observers to the referendum under the Constitution of the Republic to Chechnya. The referendum will take place on March 23. Earlier, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed concern about the conditions in which the vote is leaning.

The authorities in Belgrade abandoned the plan - to sell 13 luxurious limousines at the auction that once owned by Joseph Broz Tito. The auction was scheduled for February 27. Historians demanded to cancel it, stating that the machines belonging to Marshal Tito are a unique historical and cultural value. Among the limousines of the former Yugoslav leader are Mercedes, Rolls -Royce and BMW.

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